I recently found myself in a small crisis. I was hundreds of miles from home. My husband, who is my sounding board and general super-hero was also far from home in yet another state. I’d had multiple flight delays and got to my speaking destination far later than planned–in fact, just a few hours prior to the scheduled ladies event. I was beginning what would turn into a full-blown upper respiratory infection. I was tired. But my immediate problem was that my checked bag–my only bag–had not arrived on my flight. I was to speak in a very few hours, with no fresh clothing. I had on cargo pants, a hoodie, and Birkenstock sandals. That was all I had. Add to that, that I was worse for the wear after hours upon hours in Delta airport terminals.
I tried sleeping in this hotel, but that was mostly a futile exercise. So, on my laptop, in the wee hours, a message from a dear sister popped up in the corner…something like “Are you okay?”
I responded that I’d had better nights and told her a bit about my current situation. In the way that only someone who has spoken for a bunch of ladies days could relate, she said “Oh no!”
And then, in a way that only this dear sister says to me (and has often said to me, over far more serious situations than being somewhere without the right clothes), she said “Do you want to meet me at the throne right now?”
“Yes!” My answer is always “yes”. And it is the sweetest meeting. By faith we know where we are both going at that very moment with our petition. By faith we know Who our advocate there is, for all of our needs. By faith we know that our Father is hearing and giving His best for His children. And by faith we know that we never are in a time of trouble (Psalm 46:1), but what He gives the best resolve, even if it is not the answer we thought we needed. We go together to the God of more.
Let me say this with profound gratitude…If you have just one friend who, in the dark hours, says “Will you meet me at the throne?” then you are blessed beyond measure.
My clothes and make-up came a few minutes before I had to speak. I was so very thankful. But not nearly as thankful for their arrival as I was/am for the sister who says “Will you meet me at the throne?”
this year!
Make sure you KEEP studying with the new sister. Ask her to read, with you, a book of the Bible—say the book of John. Maybe just three chapters each week and then meet up weekly, if possible, to discuss the verses read and take lessons for her life. Perhaps your elders, like mine, will love for you to meet with new sisters, during one of the Bible class times, when everyone is already there at the building, and talk with her, about the scriptures.
doubting or just challenged on the way to the goal. It talks to me, personally, in situations where women come to me for wisdom. It tells me when to listen, when to talk, what to say and what not to say. It’s an easy read, but it will challenge your soul to be a woman to whom others can come when the spiritual muscles are weak and tired. It’s painful to watch others go through very hard things. But those hard things open eternal doors that otherwise may have remained closed. You can help sisters walk through really dark places to see light from the Word that may have, without that darkness, remained hidden. This book will give you the confidence to do that.
I have not been this excited to find a piece of paper in a long time. Last July, when I was speaking in Branson at Polishing the Pulpit, we discussed our troubled children, specifically the ones who seem bent on the deconstruction of Christianity in their lives. I promised, then and there, to pray, for the next year, for any children whose names were given to me that day.
I love the era of podcasts, internet archives, and youtube. I know, in the theological sense, I am never walking alone in this lifetime. We are kind of like Enoch; we walk with God. But, with the ease of hearing great teachers through my earbuds and Shokz–I can literally walk through my neighborhood, getting my two miles in, with great women of God. The best part is, they are not just conversing about the weather. While we walk, they are teaching me; giving me their best wisdom about the matters of eternal importance. I get to hear them DO Titus 2. In this significant way, they literally are walking with me.
I 
Another best friend, Jennifer, really was so very kind to persist in offering to come help me the day of the party. She helped me put up wreaths and tie bows and assemble cocoa servers and all kinds of things. But the main thing I saved out for Jennifer to do was to make three large cherry dump cakes. Here’s the complex ingredient list. I was doing it times three.
And then there was the broccoli rice casserole that Han made for me to feed the kids while she was working last week. “Mom, it’s been a little hectic here and I wasn’t paying attention and I put potato flakes on top of this instead of potato chips. So I really don’t know what you’ll want to do with this. But here’s some ham. I didn’t mess that up.”